Maggi!

MAGGI-the first dish that any Indian boy or girl learns to make; the dish that many Indians staying abroad for studies or on work survive on; the dish that still spells a mini-celebration even now when mummy makes it at home some evening. Maggi is synonymous to 'noodles' for our generation; no matter what the brand, noodles are almost always referred to as 'Maggi' at home:)
A dish that can be made as simple or as complicated as you wish. Everyone has their own secret special touch to add to it when they make it. I, for instance, add a dash of butter (Utterly Butterly Delicious Amul!) and some tomato sauce (again Maggi sauce:)). My brother meticulously adds all sorts of vegetables like carrots, onions, peas, tomatoes. And I still tease my husband when he insists on draining the water out of Maggi before having it-I show him the instructions on the pack which specifically mention that the water is not to be drained out.
Many brands entered the noodles market in recent years like Top Ramen or Wai-Wai(!) and Maggi came up with many variations like 'atta' noodles but some people like my bro-in-law still prefer good old Maggi Masala. To confess, though I fight for Top Ramen Oye(!) Tomato when we shop, I still dont really mind Maggi Masala.
Then, there's the Maggi Club. My brother and I have fond childhood memories of playing all the board games that we used to trade for using empty Maggi packets. We used to debate the pros and cons of each game before choosing and ordering for one from a list that used to frequently change so as to not let the excitement die. I would still love to sit down for a game or two when I visit my parents nowadays. In keeping with the times, their website, http://www.maggiclub.com is definitely worth a visit though you cant register if you were born before 1985:(
Exceptions apart, Maggi is a universal favourite for adding a little bit of cheer to a long, dull day. In its simplest form, it is quick and easy to make and that definitely is its USP over the other wholesome and reasonably tasty dishes which would require more time and effort.
So, Hats off to the modest/stylish, tasty/bland, seemingly innocuous/exciting, in short, confusing but memorable dish called Maggi that is part of not only the childhood but also other phases of life of every Indian.

There's a song in this heart of mine...

This post is not to give gyan as usual but to rave about some beautiful songs that I have heard in recent (or maybe not-so-recent) times. I dont know (and maybe dont care) how many people will agree with me but I like these songs nevertheless. So, here goes:
1. Chalo, tumko lekar chalein from Jism: Shreya's voice, expressions and the lyrics make this song an out-of-the-world experience!!
2. Jadoo hai Nasha hai (again) from Jism: I hate the duet but the solo by Shreya again is a treat! After these 2 songs from Jism and Bairi Piya from Devdas, I'm completely in love with this girl's voice. Hats off to her!
3. Sajna ve sajna from Chameli: This song has a very sweet memory associated it. One of my close pals from college got married last year. During the sangeet ceremony, she had performed for this song (yes, the bride performed/ danced during the sangeet ceremony of her wedding!). The song was so situational and meaningful that I was bowled over.
4. Kaatril Varum Geethame from Oru Naal Oru Kanavu-A beautiful song with good synchronisation among the singers. A good blend of Carnatic music and ghazal form. 'Halka halka-sa yeh nasha' from Chocolate in Hindi is also a good example of excellent synchronisation and good lyrics.
5. Pani Thuli and Kanda Naal Mudhalaai from Kanda Naal Mudhal-The former is a wonderful duet except for the jarring chorus bit. Kudos to Shreya once more and KK. The beats are not conventional and make a good impact. Kanda Naal Mudhalaai reminds me of the classical numbers from Alai Paayuthey and Kandukonden Kandukonden.
6. Noothana from Karka kasadara: A very different song. I love the combination of beats, flute and violin. Somehow, reminds me of 'Thom Thom Thithithom' and 'Narumugaiye', both excellent numbers! 'Minmini Kangalil' from the same movie is also worth a hear because of the violin bits but Sadhana Sargam's pronunciation puts one off. This one is similar to the umpteen heroine introduction numbers, the best of them being "Chinna chinna aasai" from Roja.
Other recent favourites already feature on everybody's favourite list. So, I prefer to restrict the list to the above melodious numbers. But who knows, as I listen to more songs, I may add sequels to this post:))
Signing off with a few favourite lines from a song that I just remembered for no specific reason:
"You know, I love the rain,
I love the rain..
There's a song in this heart of mine,
There's a smile on my face everytime
Because I love the rain!"

What we have always known

Again, there's been a long gap between my last post and this one. I will not claim the dumb reason of not having time. It is just that I have been feeling for quite some time now that, "Who am I to comment on something?" Even now, I am writing not because I wanted to voice my opinion on a topic. I just wanted to put down a few stray thoughts into words so that I can mull over them further. Last weekend, I had registered to attend the Landmark Forum. For people who asked me what it is, I couldn't really say anything beyond "It is a self-development programme". I attended it on Friday from 9 am to 12 am (midnight) and decided that I wasn't really doing it out of my own interest but just because I couldn't say 'no' to my brother who recommended me to it. It is so easy, isn't it-putting the blame on others? Anyway, my other reason was if I continued the 9 am to midnight schedule on Saturday and Sunday as well, I would be too exhausted to attend office on Monday. So, I silenced the little voice in my head which was telling me, "Oh! But you are wasting so much money!" and skipped the course on Saturday and Sunday. Mind you, I did not find anything wrong with the course. I would still recommend it to people who want to better the quality of their lives by overcoming shortcomings.
The thought that surprised and annoyed me was that most of what self-development books and courses tell us are what we have always known. "Be authentic","Be forgiving","Don't read more meaning into things than what they actually are" and so on. As the instructor of the course said, "Do you take notes to learn and remember how to ride a bicycle?" Or walk? Or speak? These are things that just get imbibed and stay on. You never really forget them. Then, why do we need other people and situations to remind us about our humane side? When and how do we stop being considerate?
The flip side of this is I know I am not a saint and I don't think anybody is. So, why do self-development books and courses tell us to be saints? To never lose our temper? To forgive wrongs that others do to us and not nurse grudges? So, is sanity in striking a balance between both the above and continue to be what we are?

Make me not God Almighty,
Nor in the Devil's league, do consider me .
Let me just be human but
What is it to be human, can you tell me?

Me, the journalist!

Hey, I've been bursting to tell the world! I forget to mention it everytime I blog. So, now, I've decided to dedicate an entire blog to it. Skip it if you want to( in case anybody cares to read this blog of mine). Its all about my long anticipated foray into the world of journalism. One of my articles or rather restaurant reviews appeared on rediff.com You can access it at:
http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2005/nov/10sethji.htm
Of course, I have published stuff earlier like a few poems on http://www.poetry.com (you can search for last name: bala, first name: gayatri and check out the entries by Gayatri Bala and Gayatri Balakrishnan respectively) and I think aloud on this blog. But this time was different since somebody actually had the power to reject but still published my review. Deep down, I feel really proud of myself and a trifle bit sad thinking of the alternative career path that I missed. I cant help recollecting the time my mother brainwashed me into taking up a professional course instead of the degree in journalism or literature that I was contemplating. I wish I hadn't relented. And I admit I continue to be jealous of the distant cousin who was allowed to pursue a degree in visual communication. Her articles are featured regularly in a national daily.
Again, I end up thinking that perhaps, in a parallel universe (this is becoming a frequent occurrence in my blogs!), I am happy being a journalist and enjoying writing. In the meanwhile, if not a hardcore journalist, I atleast made a start at being a foodie journalist! I dont claim I'll write regularly about every restaurant that I visit but if there is something that I really like or hate, I'll surely write about it. Thats the upside of not being in the profession, huh?!;)
Well, then, bloggerboy, 'Good day!' from the foodie journalist!:)

now and then or.. then and now?

creativity at its peak,
imagination soared.
flip channels and turn pages,
positively bored.

saying the three words made the heart quiver.
out of sheer habit, say the words over and over.

my best asset,
my lifelong liability.
blame game dominates
to hide that i'm feeling guilty.

we think we've understood,
and hence, make no fresh attempt.
makes you wonder is it true
that familiarity breeds contempt?

Her diary and his

This happens to be one of the best forwards that I've read. It provides quite a good insight into the psyche of men and women. There may be instances of role reversal of course.
Now my husband would know what I mean when I reply, "Nothing" when he asks if anything is wrong!:)
(and I totally sympathise with the guy who wrote the diary entry below. It is such a BIG blow to the world that India lost a cricket match as usual, right?! AS IF!! And these are the guys who say, "women are so sentimental and dumb")

Excerpts from HER & HIS diaries
HER DIARY
I asked him what was wrong - he said, "Nothing."I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said it had nothing to do with me and not to worry.On the way home, I told him that I loved him, but he simply smiled and kept driving.I can't explain his behavior; I don't know why he didn't say, "I love you too."When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore.He just sat there and watched TV; he seemed distant and absent.Finally, I decided to go to bed. About 10 minutes later, he came to bed.I decided that I could not take it anymore, so I decided to confront him with the situation but he had fallen asleep.I started crying and cried until I fell asleep.I do not know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else.My life is a disaster.
HIS DIARY
Today India lost the cricket match again. DAMN IT!

Contentment

Dedicated to that sweetheart in my life who chases dreams and gets confused with all the options:)

The world progresses,
Every sphere advances,
One thing betters another,
Every improvement takes it one step further.

While there's always room for perfection,
It isn't reason for deflection.
Happy with what we are,
Grateful for what we have,
Content with the present,
while striving for betterment.

No use getting pissed
With what we have missed.
Relax, make dreams your friends
And not them fiends.

How I wish...!

All of us have days when we feel like telling everybody exactly what we think of them in the choicest of words. Today is one such day for me. On such days, I dont think we would take it to our heart if somebody told us exactly what they thought about us. In other words, we wouldn't be touchy, just fuming! How I wish Jim Carrey's son, Max from the movie, "Liar, Liar" had wished for me to speak the truth for one whole day! Its tough to smile sweetly when you want to strangle. Whatever happened to Gandhi's ideas of always telling the truth?! Those would save us all from so much stress. "To hell with diplomacy" should be the motto of the day now and then. Bottling up such emotions would do more harm than good, I think, like a pressure cooker or a volcano. Or I wish I could master the skill of sarcasm. Tell someone exactly what you think with a sweet smile and be gone before they realise what you have said. I'd prefer the frank method but anyway....Muse on it for a while...For example, it would do a world of good to tell Uncle Sam, "You are NOT a saviour, sweetheart! Harp on that a minute longer and you'll have to struggle to save yourself" But no! All we do is praise the "saviour" of the world, Uncle Sam! Same applies to people I have to interact with on a day-to-day basis and a few of my relatives. I hope I'm happy in an alternative world speaking out my mind and being happy.
On the whole, when I'm in this mood, DON'T MESS WITH ME!

Attitude and prestige

As usual, its been long since I blogged but this time is different. First, the causes that prompted this blog. Simplest excuse: I had some time to spare and think. Other reasons: have been visiting many informative and interesting blogs and did feel ashamed that comparison is unthinkable. But hey! this is MY blog! This is ME! This is what I think. So, as one of my favourite quotes goes, "What you think of me is none of my business!" And that brings me to the topic of this blog. In our effort to assert our individuality, somehow, somewhere down-the-line, we are becoming more inconsiderate, stubborn and in some cases, "penny-wise and pound fools". Let me elaborate...

We bargain for that 50 paise or rupee extra with that poor naariyal-paani waalaa/coconut-seller outside our office miles from the city but sincerely tip the waiter at that high-class restaurant exhorbitantly even though he has treated us like dirt in his shoe. Many of my friends down South treat only people who speak good English with respect. In the workplace, I have many acquaintances who only respect those who are North-Indians or atleast converse fluently in Hindi. Talking about false prestige, my friends and I recently visited a complex which contained a temple, eateries and a fashionable store that stocks things like garments and toys. We left our footwear in our car at the basement car-park since we had to visit the temple. After completing our prayers, one of my pals suggested we look around the store. The guard at the entrance stopped us saying we couldn't enter the store barefooted. My friend privately retorted, "Would our bare feet dirty this place more than our footwear?!" Anyway, we ended up going all the way to the basement car-park to retrieve our footwear and then, visited the store.

The returns we get for our high-class lifestyle and behaviour are worse. Autodrivers, maids, shopkeepers, the cable-walla, the guy from the telephone department, the delivery boy from the appliances store all demand payment way above the actual price. The attitude behind the demand? "He or she must be earning so much. Dene mein uska kya jaata hai?/What does he or she lose by giving?" Everyone only seems to see the air-conditioned, glass-panelled cubicles that we work in and thinks its a fun way of life. Who keeps track of the stressful extended hours of work, the lost sleep, the cancelled weekend plans, the friends and relatives we lost touch with because we had no time to call, write or visit, the forgotten hobbies, the lack of exercise? Does money make up for all that? We are reduced to living an excuse of a life. As a result, we become more inconsiderate, rude and are treated with contempt for the same. Its a vicious circle.

So, whats the solution to all this? Get your feet back on earth. Treat people with more consideration and respect. At the same time, be fair and firm when it comes to true value of things. If you pay 100 bucks for a thing worth 50 and couldn't care less, remember the seller would expect the same from the guy who comes to him after you and soon, it becomes an established and accepted practice. On the other hand, please give that poor coconut-seller a break. Remember that his shop is the only one near your office where you can relax and he is dependent on you and your colleagues for his daily income. So, dont grudge him that rupee. After all, the supermarket near your home charges double the price for that tender coconut!

We talk...myself and my hubby!!!

Hi dear..Whats up...en intha blog vilayattu....velai onnum illaya

time flies...and how!!!

hi,bloggie!
feel so bad for not having kept u updated abt the happenings all these months. and believe me, a lot has happened since we last met. i'm married, bro is married, i've relocated to bangalore and got a new job. time is flying at lightning pace! wat next?! well, need to settle into the new job and establish a routine for balancing personal and professional concerns,huh?! whew, this blog is sounding too bombastic...will get in touch again after loosening up. ciao!

are we born equal?

hey,sorry for the second blog of the day but an interesting thought just stuck me and didnt want to lose it. the engaging question was, "are we born equal?" i chose to answer in the affirmative until recently but now i have my doubts. i believed that we are all identical in personality, intelligence and talent (if not appearance) at birth and our surroundings shape our minds. science doesnt really agree with me. talents are acquired through those magical components that we now term as "genes" though their refinement may entirely depend on the individual's upbringing and education. so, in reality, we arent born equal. some of us are more good at something than others. and we may not gain expertise in something no matter how hard we try coz "we arent born that way". i know the whole discourse reeks of fatalism but give it a thought. and while i was thinking on the same lines, i stumbled upon another significant idea. here goes....if i were God, y wud i take the trouble of creating so many creatures and pay attention to so much detail in each of them. furthermore, even in each species, i make distinction between individuals. y? coz i'm bored and have nothing else to do? what can be my motive behind all this? and y do my creations have to go through the birth and death cycle? in fact, y does science put almost everything in terms of cycles? whats the point of going round and round repeating the same thing over and over, returning to the same state over and over and yet, not remaining in the same state for long? wat is the "whole point"? i'm lost. there are so many questions and no convincing answers. think about it and let me know.

devil's back!

after the looooooonnnnnnggg calm,here's the storm. well,lots of changes have been happening since the last blog and yet,nothing has really changed. confused? let me puzzle u further:) significant events after that blog b4 bro's engagement have been bro's engagement, getting a foothold in work and then, experiencing the pain of neglect, the successful completion of a year at work and earning the tag of "experienced associate"(have a gut feeling that is pretty significant but havent yet figured out the real significance of it), big b relocating to india, change of office caterers calculated to starve employees to death, getting rid of my hypocritic manager(oh! that disgusting man!) by his moving onto another project(one of the happiest moments of my life) and the conclusion of a year-and-a-half saga of uncertainities and assumptions on the marriage alliance front. yes, urs truly is back on the eligible spinster bandwagon and her search for the elusive mr.right continues:) learnt along the way through all the events at work and in the social scene that u cant always get what u wish for in life but check out what u've got, it probably wud suit u better than what u, in the first place,assumed wud. and another important lesson i'm trying to master after 22 years of refusal to believe in it is this: u cant make all the people happy all the time. the kid in me still doesnt wanna grow up and accept this but hey,world, i am making a sincere effort this time round to learn this lesson.
am slowly sinking into the stupor, monotony and melancholy of a working woman's life but i wonder how long it will last. i hope my spirit regains its spirit and fights back(what a cliched expression). i hope from my current mindset of being an also-ran(which i definitely know i'm not), i get back my spirit to become an achiever-an achiever not by anyone else's standards but by mine alone and if the world agrees with my benchmarks, thats an icing on the cake! wow, thats pretty encouraging, devil, read this repeatedly and in time, u shud b outta ur current stupid numbness of mind:) and hey, am eagerly awaiting my diwali vacation. going home after almost a year! hope it turns out well. hmm...after the exhaustive and tiresome lakshya session(the annual exercise of getting goals for the company) the whole of this sunday, i guess my blog isnt as cheerful as it cud b. anyway, happy diwali, ciao and...."i'll be back" terminator style!:))

harsh reality of life

ok,blogger pal,this blog is gonna b a serious one. so, b prepared... u know,getting into development work has had its share of ups and downs for me. the upside is that after a long,bitter struggle with my project manager, i've finally been assigned development work(though its only bug fixes and enhancements,yet its good work) and that too in c++,a language i love! cudnt have asked for anything better! the downside is that i took the handover from a guy who has had abt 4-5 yrs of cpp experience and the code he's developed is really good! takes a bit of time to grasp and now that i'm alone,sometimes it gets a bit taxing when i have some kind of a clarification or doubt and there's no one around to turn to. anyway, thats also an experience to learn from. so far so good. sometimes, u know, when i get really cranky and get the thing i call "bored sadness", the best tonic is to travel by the ptc(public transport corporation) bus-esp. the one that travels from my place to the library. it teaches me how fortunate i am to have a job and to have a job with a company which provides safe transport facilities for its employees. apart from that is the cool,secure working environment it provides and the decent food. and a lot more that i have to be thankful for. yet, there is always the nagging thot that i'm not even blessed to enjoy the money that i earn. i cant even visit the library leisurely, read a good book or develop a new hobby. am not even able to retain the existing hobbies! the one free day i get is a sunday and all i feel like doing on that day is eat and sleep. homemade food feels like a long-awaited blessing nowadays. lost touch with many friends. at the end of the day, after all the stressful work, i end up thinking,"is it really worth all the trouble?" probably, the past 4 to 5 generations have been brought up with the mentality,"work hard, earn, save for a rainy day" only recently have people started spending more money. the standard of living has improved but the quality of life has degraded. half of those who earn do not get the time to spend it(like me) and the other half do not spend it wisely. we are quickly losing our image as a richly cultured, civilized and decent society. God knows where all this is going to end!
hey,hey,hey,thus spake the old lady! see? i'm not even married and i've already grown old. anyway,whew! thats too serious a blog for a day. bro's engagement next weekend. so, will write later. enjoy! hakuna matata!:)

brother's engagement

hi,bloggie boy!g3 the devil's back with news and her views of the same. 1st things 1st, know wat, my brother's getting engaged!!!yup, he's chosen his soulmate,his partner for this lifetime. anu's a sweet gal, i'm sure they'll b happy together:)the engagement is on aug 22nd-pity i cant make it to both kannammai's and amirtha's wedding,both of which, i was counting on attending. anyway, thats life-full of surprises!well,lots of mails,phone calls,conversations around-its a once-in-a-lifetime occasion after all!with the One Above watching and taking care of everything, i know v neednt worry. so,thats the BIG news!:)hmm...not actually in the mood to blog. so, i guess some other time. bye,pal!

friends and life

hey,long time since i last thot aloud! hmm...lots to say yet nothing to say. today is friendship day. looking back, have a huge database of friends to be proud of but then, how many of them r the true intimate relationships that friendship is really meant to be? in most cases, maybe i have driven people away by being too possessive. in some, i've been the one to run away from commitment. in a lot of them, the intimacy isnt two-way. or maybe i expect too much. and things only seem to get worse. maybe the more i lose, the more i'm afraid to lose. well, chill...no point complicating life by thinking too much. the best consolation in most cases is "no man is worth ur tears and the one who is, wont make u cry". cute thot,huh?! :)

recently, a true friend and brother gave me some food for thought..."its better to be smart/buddhisaali than good(or wat do i call it?)/chamathu in some situations". been thinking about it-interesting and true. y else wud ppl change to being smart rather than remaining good which they r right from birth? well,grow up, gayatri, accept it. and try to be smart, not oversmart :) and i promised this friend-cum-anna that i wont cry. well, thats a goal to strive for. and i think i can do it. after all, i was the strong mature good gal at one point of time-wen was that? 3 years ago...well, not a problem. just have to get into that mindset again though the situation is now different. in fact, am probably at a better situation now. so, enjoy life,gays, u have nothing to lose now.
whew! thats a loooooonnng blog post. and still lotsa news to talk about-bro's engagement, my so-called trial of diplomacy, boss's hypocrisy and stuff. but rest in next. happy friendship day! hope a 'laughlady' thinks aloud next time rather than this crybaby :) hakuna matata!!:))

awesome and awful week

whew!what a whirlwind week!as erratic as the ekg of a heart patient!there was the stupid performance review, then the big fight about module change and then,appointment as "project engineer"(wow,gays,am proud of u:))hoping to perform well in the new module i've been deployed in.have to go to office 2morrow. will miss shopping with kans
:(( wish i cud go:(( anyway,2morrow also happens to be my tamil star b'day. hope i dont have a bad day at office. hope not,with shiva-san around. what a bold and straightforward guy!pity he is married :( ok,enuf for now.more later.take care and work smooth,o world!

aint this cool?!

hey,this feels good..u know,typing gyaan doogie howser m.d. ishtyle...hallo,world,this is gayatri's incorrigibly intelligent brain sharing its pearls of wisdom with u...take it if u want,it'll do u good someday..else,leave it? u rnt fortunate enuf-kuduthu vekkalai(thats a tamil phrase for those who came in late)god, y am i in such a bugged condition today? well,thats the way it is...hey,btw,am writing a poem,"now what". will post it wen i'm done. c ya...tc

simply sunday

hectic morn, attended yet another wedding of a colleague and wondered yet again how mine's gonna b. sitting at my comp rite now with my hair well-oiled and my brains buzzing with idle thots. attitude changes with time. they say,the course of events is determined by only 10% of what actually happens and 90% of how we react to it. but then, wat actually happens is what influences our thots and shapes our ideas. if nothing happened, v wud b dumb and blank,rite?! got the point? thinking abt it...wat say? chao,gtg and wash my hair..c ya

tada! here's my blog!

hi,guys and gals!
i really dont know wat a blog is. just sitting home idle on a fine sat and experimenting. tell me wat this is all abt pls. meanwhile, if u have the time and patience, u can always check out my blog to read my mostly stupid and sometimes precious thots
luv ya all! b there for me coz i promise i'll b there for u wen u need.
g3 the devil